Never Let Go
by Sassy Girl
Summary: A haunted past catches up to the newest member of the Ghost Adventures Crew. She is left with two options: Tell her friends what she experienced that frightful night in September or run in hopes that she could forget. -Ghost Adventures-
1. Prologue

Full Summary:

She's been a member of the GAC crew for the last 2 years. Close friends with the guys and a potential love interest to co-founder Zak Bagans. But a dark secret that's been haunting her for 4 years will finally catch up to her on their latest lockdown.

Truth be told, what happens when her secret she tried so hard to forget comes knocking on her door? Will she finally tell the tale that would make any ghostly encounters seem like child's play? Or will she build a wall around her and quit the Ghost Adventures?

**...**

_AN: And so it begins. It's short but I can't very well give everything away, though it's enough for you as the reader to know something bad happened. Feedback is always appreciated and more is to come._

_**...**_

**Prologue**

They say dreams happen in just the last few minutes of your sleep before you wake up. That may be the case for most but for 26 year old Rylee Masters, the nightmares begin moments after she falls asleep.

There's never a night that does not go by that Rylee didn't relive that terrible nightmare. Four years has passed and the images, the torture that plagues her endlessly and the screams were still very much alive. There was no escaping, no way to block out the events that took place that one September night.

How could she forget? She lived the moment, experienced the true terror; pain and the fear that her twin sister, Olivia, withstand when her attacker brutalized her and killed her.


	2. Chapter One

_AN: I had found a 21 most haunted places and one of them was the LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans so that is where I have stationed my lockdown. You can read up on the story behind the LaLaurie Mansion, what type of person she was, what she did and all that good stuff on Wikipedia because not all info will be used in the next few chapters. Plus I wanted a new place for what is to come. _

_Stay tune for more coming soon. Feedback is always appreciated._

**...**

**Chapter One**

Sleep was not an option anymore. Shaken to the very fiber of her being, Rylee stared wide eyed and fully awake. Her breathing was fast with a rapid beating heart felt trembling through her body.

The phone beside her bed rang loudly taring her from the deep terror that woke her up once again. She turned her head, the wetness from the few tears that fell from her eyes slid down her cheeks and she reached for the phone. There was no ignoring it...

"Hello?"

"Good morning Miss Masters, this is Shawna at the front desk giving you your 7:00 wake up call you requested." The woman's voice was pleasant and cheery, too much for Rylee to digest.

Rylee fell back against her pillow and sighed heavily. She forgotten the night before she placed the call in for the wake up call. "I'm up, thank you." She said pulling the comforter up over her head.

"You're welcome. Have a good day Miss Masters." And with that said, Shawna hung up the phone.

Rylee reached her hand out and fumbled with the receiver trying to put the phone piece back on it. It clinked and clatter without much luck doing it blindly. Her patience was thin and she was slightly annoyed.

Not a good way to start the morning off.

She threw back the covers and sat up in bed, running her fingers through her tangled mess of hair and wiped the tiredness from her eyes.

Sleep deprived, body aches and the starting of a headache was just the beginning. She dragged herself out of bed and walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain allowing the bright sunlight light up the room. As much as she disliked the hotel and its lumpy bed at least the view of the trees was a better sight for sore eyes.

She could already tell the newest location and lockdown just two days away was going to be hell on earth. She was not in the right mind set, she was tired physically and mentally drained and her heart just wasn't in it. But she couldn't tell them that though. Oh no. It would open Pandora's box she fought to keep closed. Questions would be asked and Rylee would be forced to answer.

She shook her head no. Now is not the time to spill the beans on why she was rough around the edges. She gone this long keeping it hidden and putting up a front that everything was just peachy keen. Two years since the job of a lifetime came, two years that gave her hope to one day face the skeletons in her closet.

But today was not that day.

Rylee moved away from the window and went about grabbing her clothes from her suitcase and headed for the bathroom. A nice cold shower would shake away the cobwebs and clear her mind so she could focus on the task a head.

**...**

Rylee waited for the guys in the small restaurant that was located just off the left of the lobby. She was going over the notes she gathered on their location, her own research she did before they left Vegas. Since this was her third actual case she'll be apart of, knowing what they would be investigating would help better prepare her.

Since joining the GAC crew almost two years ago, first as an assistant who gathered a list of locations requested by their growing fan base; information about these places and what made them stand out from all the other hauntings. She would search for ones with the darkest histories or places with the worst encounters. She was content with the job, taking her mind off her own demons. It gave a sense of hope to help others.

But when Aaron came down with the flu and was unable to travel, Rylee stepped up and filled his spot. It was an experience she'll never forget.

Rylee felt the smile appear, closing the notebook and placed it back in her bag. Things had changed since than and she was grateful for this opportunity.

Their voices could be heard from the lobby, Rylee looked up to see Zak, Nick and Aaron coming her way. She greeted them with a smile. "Morning guys."

"Hey Ry." Aaron said sliding into the chair next to her. "How are you this fine morning?" He was awfully chipper this morning, something she noticed on days they start a new investigation.

Nick sat on the other side of her and Zak sat across in front of her.

"Besides sleeping on a lumpy bed and waking up stiff, I am fantastic." She hid the truth and added her own excitement for the day ahead.

"The beds are a little uncomfortable." Aaron agreed. "We should start a petition for better beds."

Rylee laughed. "That's a lot of work. I doubt the hotel management would like that very much. We would get tossed out on our asses."

She always got along well with Aaron. His up beat, outrageous personality she found amusing. Being around him sometimes made her forget the pain that she lives with.

There was no problems with Nick either. It was he who agreed first for her joining the crew when it was brought to their attention that having a woman's point of view related to the audience more than they thought. He taught her to use her inner senses to listen and feel for her bodies reaction to the paranormal.

Now Zak, on the other hand...Rylee couldn't figure him out just yet. He was hard to read at times, giving off mixed emotions about another member added to his team. He'd watch her closely, maybe he was waiting for her to screw up. She hardly talked to him unless it was job related. He wasn't strict or mean, his words were never rude but he kept his distance for sure and she didn't know why.

Nick had shared with her he needed time to get use to having another member to look after. She protested though, she was a big girl and she could take care of herself. If having her around was too much of a problem she would be glad to leave. She didn't want to cause problems, it was the last thing she ever wants.

Nick reassured her it was nothing to worry about, he will come around.

That conversation was three months ago.

"What time do we have to be at the LaLaurie Mansion?" Zak asked glancing up from his menu and made eye contact with Rylee.

"We have an appointment with the realtor at 12:00. His name is Jack, hes going to give the keys to us and than we meet a woman by the name of Pamela who knows the history with the LaLaurie Mansion." Rylee began taking a sip of her orange juice. There was something different with the look in his eyes. They were normally deep, dark and held such mystery she could never figure him out. But as his blue eyes stared back at her she got a small glimpse of something unexplainable.

Before she could analyze her own theory, Nick cleared his throat. "We also meet up with a few paranormal investigators from the area who have gone in the LaLaurie Mansion. They're willing to share some of their evidence with us."

The waitress came to take their order to Rylee's relief giving her the chance to look away before his stare could do something to her. There was never a doubt that their relationship was strictly professional and nothing more.

**...**

By 11:00 they were loading up the van with their equipment they were going to need for the day of interviews and filming. Rylee was checking off the items on the list she had in her hand...batteries, microphone packs, digital recorders fully empty and ready to use just because you never know. Activity doesn't always happen at night. Aaron took care of the cameras and audio equipment they would need. Jay and Billy would meet them at the Mansion.

Rylee went for the last small black box to be loaded up in the van when Zak stopped her before she could.

His touch was warm on her skin, his grip was gentle as he held her arm. He was close, very close that she could smell the faint scent of his cologne. Her eyes were leveled with his chest. She tilted her head up slowly, unaware of what his intentions were. This was the first time ever he touched her or stood this close, she could feel the heat radiating off him. There was nothing sexual let alone sensual, but still it took her breath away.

All she saw when their eyes connected was a deep concern for her. "What can I do for you?" She asked after she found the nerve to speak.

Zak stared at her for a moment. He contemplated with himself whether or not he should bring up that he could hear her cries last night. Her cries of helplessness were chilling, the thin wall that separated their rooms, he could hear everything. It was unsettling.

He cleared his throat softly. "I just want to make sure that everything is okay with you." He began, it was apparent he was worried. They weren't close like she was with Nick and Aaron and mostly it was his fault but it still didn't stop him from caring. "I heard you..."

Her blood went cold and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She knew right away what he meant, but she didn't know how. She didn't have any recollection of waking up screaming, for sure if she did she would have waken the whole floor up.

Rylee took a step back away from him, letting his fingers slide over her arm before she snatched it away. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly letting it out. "Everything is fine." She said simply, shrugging it off as if it was nothing. "So don't worry your pretty little head about me." She turned and walked away and got in the van.

Zak stood there dumbfounded, it was a blow to the chest. He was only trying to help. He knew something deep was brewing inside her, she held back from them. A wall of concrete separated her from talking about whatever it was that she kept hidden. There was nothing he could do about it either. _'This is going to be a long investigation...'_ He thought to himself as he made his way to the van.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Rylee was grateful that Aaron joined her in the back seat letting Zak take the front. He didn't look back or even look at her but she could feel his thoughts inside her head. Her close encounter with him, he knew something and it troubled her. Questions ran through her mind over and over. How could he have heard her? What if she was mistaken and he heard every last detail, her cries and screams. Calling out her sisters name, begging the man that tormented Olivia to stop killing her. Maybe this wasn't the only time he heard her and he knows more than he was letting on. Would he press the issue and demand to know what was going on in her life that could very well affect her and her job?

Great. Just what she needed. Someone she hardly knew, knew her dark secrets.

Rylee sighed softly, resting her head back against the seat and stared up. She had to make things right, come up with some bull shit story she was good at and pray to the heavenly God that Zak would not press the issue and leave it at her excuses and accept what she says.

If only it was that easy...

Keeping secrets was never easy for Rylee, especially one so dangerously evil and complicated as being a "witness" to her sisters murder without ever being there. No one understood her or seemed to believe her...not even her own parents did. The evidence was there though. The bruises around her neck, the red marks on her chest that matched up exactly to where Olivia was stabbed. The scratches on her face and the bump on her head where her attacker hit her to quiet her screams for help. For a moment there the authorities thought Rylee was a victim as well but got away. Which that being said it unleashed a whole lot more pain...

_'Why did you leave your sister to die?'_ Her mother accused her. _'Why Rylee, why? She was your sister. Olivia looked up to you.'_ Her mother's tears and blame broke her heart. Her accusations that she would leave her sister to save her own skin was damming and it still tormented her to this day.

Rylee poured her heart and soul out to her mother that she would never leave her sister to die alone. She would have fought to save her, protect her. She has always looked out for her twin sister. She loved her sister more than anything in this damn world but she was not there. She was home when it happened.

She tried to explain the marks on her body and the experience she encountered, everything that Olivia went through she went through too.

But no one understood just how connected Rylee and Olivia were.

The tears were only inches away from falling down her cheeks and exposing her to the others. She was quick to go unnoticed with a swipe of her hand over her eyes and once again bottled up the guilt and pushed it all to the side. Now was not the time to have a melt down. She had a job to do and that came first...

...

Nick pulled the van into the empty lot of The Shorewest Realtor and parked. There wasn't a soul in sight, not even another car. "Are we suppose to meet him here?" He asked, as he leaned forward in his seat and looked around.

"It doesn't look to be open." Zak noticed the lack of business.

Rylee nodded. "When I spoke to him on the phone yesterday he said to meet him here." She told them, motioning for Aaron to let her out. She did a quick glance down at her watch. "It's ten minutes to twelve. He should be here shortly. If not, I'll call him again."

The warm air was a welcome feeling as Rylee got out of the van. Her sunglasses came down and she stepped to the front to wait. It was better that way. She didn't mind waiting outside by herself. It gave her a few minutes to collect her thoughts and come up with possible questions to ask the realtor.

She fiddled with the ring on her middle finger, twirling it around in circles to help take the edge off. Her most pride possession she owned.

"That's a pretty ring." Aaron said softly looking over her shoulder and watched as she twirled the silver ring. The sunlight caught the light blue gem.

His voice crept up her spine, scaring the beejeezes out of her. She thought she was alone but she was mistaken. She closed her eyes for a moment to settle her rapid beating heart. "Thanks." She said as she looked down at the ring before she folded her arms across her chest. "It was a gift..."

Aaron nodded and smiled. "Boyfriend? Fiancee?" He asked, only his smile grew wider. "I'm sure Zak would love to hear that, break his heart all before he realizes he has feelings for you."

Rylee raised her brows, tilted her head down just enough for her to see over the rim of her sunglasses and stared at Aaron. There was never any sign or signal, any feelings...nothing that would indicate that Zak Bagans even liked her just a little bit. Why would Aaron say such a thing, something that wasn't even true.

Her expression was priceless and it made him laugh.

"I'll act like I didn't just hear that." She mean mugged him through her sunglasses and tried to keep a straight face...unfortunately she failed. "We all know that Zak hates having me around. If he could get rid of me I believe he would. But The Travel Channel wants me around." She sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "So you guys are stuck with me..."

Aaron bumped into her lightly. "You know that's not true. Zak likes having you around. He said so himself, he's just a little stubborn sometimes letting it be known."

Rylee shook her head, rolling her eyes. "You don't have to cover it up, I've accepted the truth."

His bottom lip pouted. "Rylee, have I ever lied to you before?"

She shook her head.

"So why would I start now?"

She looked away from him. She didn't have an answer. If anyone was ever straight forward with her, it was Aaron. Even in his own goofy ways he had ways of telling her the truth. Oddly she found it comforting.

Before she had the chance to say another word on the matter, a tan colored car pulled into the parking lot.


	4. Chapter Three

_Authors Note: I wanted to give a little to Rylee's past. This will play a big part to what is going to happen in the very near chapters. But I also didn't want to give a whole lot away until Detective Vance and Rylee talked. I left out the other parts to this chapter and decided to save it until the next chapter. So I hope you like and stick around for more to come on the investigation that will start to turn things upside down for Rylee. And Detective Vance will become a reoccurring character._

_Stay tune for more..._

...

He received the answering machine for the 5th time that day and when he tried calling her on her cell phone, Detective Vance got her voicemail. Over and over he tried to reach out to Rylee in urgency.

He had too. He must.

There was important new revelations that recently came to past that he had to tell her. Her life was at stake.

But she made it very difficult to reach her when all he got was the damn answering service.

Detective Vance slammed the phone back on its receiver and let out a sigh of frustration. He swiped his hand over his face, grumbling words he could only hear. This was not going as well as he hoped it would. And time was wasting as he sat at his desk. How many more times was he going to call her and leave the same message?

He grabbed the folder off his desk and leaned back in his chair. There had to be something in the case file that would lead him to getting a hold of Rylee. Four years has gone by, what could she possibly have done in those short years that would make her ignore his calls?

"Hey Vance, I think I found something for you." His partner, Chris Kaine, called to him as he made his way over to him.

"I hope it's better news than what I've been having." Vance stated truthfully as he looked up.

"I just might..." Kaine reached across his desk and placed a white piece of paper down in front of his partner. "Remember when I said I thought I saw Rylee on the TV a few nights ago?"

Vance nodded.

"Well, I think I found her." Kaine's eyes lit up as he smiled. "You may not want to believe it but Miss Masters has been working with the paranormal, helping out on the show Ghost Adventures."

Vance raised a eyebrow. He knew of the show from Kaine but never expected the girl he knew since the 5th grade was into all of that hocus pocus. "Are you serious?"

Kaine nodded. " I checked out their website and sure enough I saw her picture and name listed under as an investigator. I did a little research for you and came up with a number to the TV station; The Travel Channel. Maybe you can try calling them and find out where their lock down is."

Vance picked up the piece of paper and looked at the scribble of numbers written on it. "You may have just saved me from sending out an APB." He picked up his phone and dialed the number.

"Thank you for calling The Travel Channel, this is Gabriella speaking how may I direct your call?" The woman's voice came after the second ring.

"Hi, yes I was wondering if you could help me. My name is Detective Sam Vance with the LAPD."

"Good afternoon Detective. What can I do for you?" Gabriella asked ready to take a message.

"I've been trying all morning to get a hold of a member of the Ghost Adventures. It is very important that I do so." Vance swallowed, praying that he don't come off as some freaky fan seeking information on their whereabouts. "Is there any way possible that you could tell me where or how I can get a hold of Rylee Masters."

"Miss. Masters and the rest of the crew are away on a lockdown." She informed him. "I'm afraid that is all I can tell you without consulting with my boss before releasing anymore information."

His head dropped and he closed his eyes for a long moment before he spoke again. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. His frustrations were starting to peak to its highest, his patience was running thin. "I'll hold while you consult with your boss if I must. I seem to have all day to wait." His attitude was slightly annoyed and inches away from snapping at the poor woman who wouldn't give him what he called for. "Look Gabriella, I appreciate that you want to keep their locations discrete but I'm running out of time. I really need to know where she's at. Her life could be in danger..."

"I could lose my job Detective." Gabriella told him. "We're not allowed to reveal lockdown locations to avoid fans showing up and causing chaos. You must understand..."

Vance sighed softly. Another dead end. Back to the beginning of calling Rylee in hopes that one of the calls would finally get through to her. And when he finally did she'll get a piece of his mind. "I understand it's your protocol. I appreciate your time, Gabriella. Thank you."

There was a long pause. As he was about to hang up, Gabriella's voice broke through the silence.

"Detective Vance wait. Please don't hang up just yet. I can help you. I would hate to think something bad could happen to Rylee and I didn't do a thing to help."

"Go on, I'm listening." Vance persuade her to continue, motioning for his partner to give him a pen. "Any information will be useful."

If she was caught giving out information she would surely lose her job. She would get the yelling of a lifetime, humiliation and made of an example on what happens when you go against the rules.

But she knew Rylee and living with the thought that something terrible could happen and she had the chance to stop it and did nothing...the guilt would not be enough of a punishment for her.

The line grew silent, eerie and there was a small hope that they were disconnected and she wouldn't have to go through this. "Detective Vance?" She asked, her voice was low and shaky.

"I'm here Gabriella."

"Please make sure my name is not brought up. I'm risking everything as it is."

"Not a problem. You're name will be kept confidential."

"Thanks. You'll find Rylee in New Orleans. They're there to investigate the LaLaurie Mansion. I can give you the number to her company phone. You can try reaching her through that one. That's all I can give you."

Vance was quick to write the number down. "Thank you so much Gabriella. You have no idea how much of a life saver this is for helping me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it for not hanging me out to dry."

"Good day Detective." Gabriella said and hung up the phone.


	5. Chapter Four

The car pulled in next to where Rylee and Aaron were standing and turned the car off. There was a slight hesitation as he opened the door and stepped out.

He was an older gentleman, gray hair, glasses and slightly taller than Rylee was. Slender built and bright colored eyes.

Rylee and the man locked eyes.

"Rylee Masters?" He asked, stepping around his car to greet the young woman.

Rylee nodded and smiled. "Yes, I'm Rylee. Jack I presume."

"That's correct."

"This is Aaron, one of my co-workers." She said, shaking the man's hand and pointed to Aaron.

Rylee stepped to the side out of the way as Zak and Nick joined them. "This is Zak and Nick, our lead investigators."

"Nice to meet you guys." Jack smiled, shaking each of their hands. "I apologize if I'm late, traffic was crazy on the way over here."

"Not a problem." Zak told him. "We weren't waiting that long."

"So I'm here to give you the keys to the LaLaurie Mansion." He stated as he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a set of keys.

"Just out of curiosity, why are you giving us the keys? We've never come across anyone who be willing to just hand them over." Nick asked, a question that has been lingering in his mind since Rylee told them the plan.

Jack stiffened, the color in his face started to drain. "No one wants to go near that place to be honest with you guys."

"How come?" Rylee asked next seeing the discomfort starting to set in on Jack. "Do you know anything that you could tell us about the place?"

Jack looked down at the set of keys he held in his hand. They were a set of ten for the locks throughout the mansion. "I've only been in the mansion once and that was all it took." He began rubbing the back of his neck, the chills creeping up his spine. "You may think it's crazy what I felt in that place."

"I was checking the locks with the keys making sure we had all the right ones. I was in there no more than twenty minutes when it started to feel uneasy, like there was a heavy atmosphere surrounding me. It was very uncomfortable, very hard to breathe. I didn't finish, I got the heck out." Jack looked over at them. His eyes held the experience. "I haven't been back there since..."

"Do you remember where you were at when you started to feel the discomfort?" Zak asked him, keeping a mental note to investigate that particular spot.

He shook his head. "Not off the top of my head. I know I was on the 1st floor."

Zak understood, folding his arms across his chest.

"Would you be willing to go back to the LaLaurie Mansion and show us where?" Nick asked, a second later. "It could help us to know where to start." He held his breath with hopes that he would. Their list of people to interview for information was very thin. Not many wanted to talk about the mansion and it's dark secrets.

Jack was unsure if he wanted to go back to the mansion. Though he didn't see a thing. No ghosts or spirits. Nothing. But the feeling he got when he was standing there, the keys shaking in his hand as the feeling of sudden that he was being watched weighed heavily on him. The hairs on his body stood up, his body shook with a light tremble and all he could think about was getting the hell out of there. He almost wanted to drop the keys and tell his boss that there wasn't enough money in the world that could get him to go back to that damming place.

Rylee could see his uneasiness, his bright eyes were beginning to dim. The palm of his hands were becoming sweaty as he rubbed them gently down the front of his jacket. The keys dropped to the ground. His breath was shaky as he exhaled. His face turned red. "Excuse me for my nerves. I've never had an experience before so it's a little hard to agree to go back to that place."

Rylee bent down and picked up the keys and held them tightly in her hands. She had compassion for the poor old soul. She remembered her first ghostly experience that turned her world upside down for the next week. Seeing is believing she always thought and sure enough on her first investigation dark shadows were creeping. "It's okay Jack. We understand what you went through." She said, smiling softly, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "We've all experienced encounters that were a little too close for comfort."

Jack smiled shyly. He felt embarrassed, a grown man was afraid of the unknown.

"You don't have to be afraid, we wouldn't let anything happen to you." She told him.

"Yeah dude, spirits aren't usually active during the day." Aaron chimed in. He stretched the truth a little, a known fact that yes the activity can happen during the day but the realtor didn't need to know that. They needed his help.

"You don't need to stay long either." Nick said. "You can show us where your experience happened and than be on your way. We can even do the interview part outside of you like."

Zak nodded. "The choice is really yours. We won't push you to go in if that is your wish not to come in."

Jack stood there for a moment and thought of his decision. Would it be so wrong of him not to go back? The young group was only asking for his help, not demanding him to stay all night locked in that dreaded mansion. But if he backed out, not be able to get over his fears what would they truly think of him than? Would he be able to face the chilling encounter once again? 'Man up, Jack!' He thought to himself.

He turned to Rylee. "I will..." He paused for a quick second. "I will show you where my experienced happened. But if you don't mind I would not like to be in there long. Some things are hard to shake off and that mansion is one of them."

Rylee looked at Zak for his approval and he gave her a slight nod of his head. "You have yourself a deal, Jack." She told him, smiling widely as she turned to look at the older gentleman. "How about you come by say 3:00 this afternoon? We should be done by than with our other interviews. It shouldn't take no more than ten minutes tops inside."

"Sounds good. I'll see you guys there." Jack said as he headed back to his car. He wasted no time to leave the parking lot, leaving them standing there wondering whether or not he was actually going to show up.

But Rylee had faith he would. The unknown has a way of drawing people back to places looking for answers.


	6. Chapter Five

**Author's Note: poor, poor Detective Vance, he is not having much luck with getting a hold of Rylee. Lol Also, it's not the mansion that she is feeling. What could it be? You'll have to stick around to find out.**

...

Chapter Five

"Good Lord..." Rylee muttered out loud, tilting her head back and looked up to the three story mansion. How were they going to investigate such a huge place with just the four of them? She was still new and fresh to the investigating aspects of the job, nothing was ever this complex or big. This was a place of getting lost in.

Her mouth dropped open.

"Don't worry Rylee, stick with me and we'll conquer this house together." Aaron greeted her with a big smile and draped his arm around her shoulder.

Rylee looked at him and shook her head. "This place is huge. What if we or I get lost in there, than what?"

"We'll send in a search party in to look for you." Nick told her simply, his own smile reaching the corners of his eyes. "We've investigated bigger, prisons and islands. Warehouses. This..." He pointed to the building in front of him. "This is a piece of cake."

She laughed. "This is massive." She took the keys from her pocket out and clenched them in her hand.

"We'll give her a walkie talkie." Zak said. He still felt sour from this morning. His concerns for his team member was not wanted. She gave him the cold shoulder and blew him off when really all he wanted to know was if she was okay.

This wasn't the first time he heard her cries or screams through the wall that separated their rooms. This wasn't the only time he woke up to her desperate pleads to let her go. Zak didn't understand, when he finally had the heart to confront Rylee about the noises she stone cold him.

But, what could he really do about it? The mysteries surrounding Rylee Masters were sealed, glued and concrete together.

It wasn't his problem...

"Aaron, you can have the other half, if she's lost you have the responsibility to find her."

"She is right here." Rylee bit down on her lower lip and fought the out burst from exploding in his face. She shot Aaron a look of 'see he hates me' before she turned and made her way to the front door.

Aaron shot Zak a look slugged him in the shoulder. "Dude, not cool." He said and went after Rylee who had gotten the front door unlocked.

"Owe." Zak grumbled, "What the hell.." He rubbed the sting in his shoulder until the sensation subsided. He turned to Nick. "What the hell he do that for?"

Nick shook his head and held his hands up. "Leave me out of this. Take it up with Aaron." He followed suit leaving Zak standing their by himself.

...

"This is Rylee Masters, I'm sorry I'm unable to answer your call right now. I'm currently away from my phone. But if you leave your name, number and a brief message I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you."

_Please leave your message after the beep. Beep_

"Rylee you are the worst person to ever get a hold of." His nostrils flared, annoyed once again when he called her and got her damn voicemail again. "It's Sam again, calling again. You need to answer your damn phone. Please, you have to call me back when you get this message. It's very important that I speak with you."

Detective Vance slammed the phone down on the receiver, groaning as he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.

Another brick wall.

_"This is hopeless."_ He thought, trying not to scream. How could it be so hard to get someone to answer their phone? He thought by now after the millionth call Rylee would realize just how important it was that they speak. Not this cat and mouse games.

...

When she walked into the door, the thickness in the air was heavy. She gasped softly, placing her hand over her heart feeling the beats quicken with each step she took inside. There was something strange about this place, something was off and it made her start to feel uncomfortable.

She turned around to leave only to smack right into a hard surface. She stumbled back a little, hands reached out and caught her.

"Sorry Ry." Aaron apologized, steadying her on her feet.

"It's fine." She said, pushing strands of hair from her face. "I didn't know you were behind me."

"I wanted to make sure that you were okay." He told her. "Zak can be a butt sometimes."

"Forget about it. I'm use to the snub.." She shrugged, turning back around and slowly made her way further into the mansion. "I probably deserved it, I was bitchy to him this morning."

It was unsettling the more she walked around. The hairs on the back of her neck stood and goosebumps covered her arms. The chills were eerie sending little cold spurts down her spine. She couldn't shake the feelings off.

She stopped.

"Is it me or does this place give the bad case of the willies?"

Aaron stopped next to her, letting himself feel out the place.

Nothing.

Not even a cold chill.

"What are you feeling?" He asked quietly, turning to look at her. "Should I panic?"

"I don't know. It just feels really heavy in here. It almost makes it hard to catch my breath, kinda like having someone sitting on your chest and you can't breathe."

This now concerned him. "Did you want me to go get Nick or Zak maybe? Something could be happening..."

"No." She stopped him in his tracks. "I'm sure it's nothing. It could just be that it's hot in here." She waved it off of no concern. After all this was her first big investigation. She was just experiencing the jitters is all...

"Hey guys." Zaks voice bellowed through the stillness surrounding them. "Pamela is here, let's get this interview started."


	7. Chapter Six

**_Author's Note: You can read more about the LaLaurie Mansion on Wikipedia. I didn't want to go into great detail about it because it could be a sour subject and I needed some for the story. And awe, they (Zak and Rylee) have a moment, a very short moment but still a moment. _**

**_More to come..._**

**...**

**Chapter Six**

_"Madame LaLaurie lived here in the mansion with her third husband and children. She is best known for the torture and murder of slaves. She maintained a prominent position in the social circles of New Orleans until April of 1834 when rescuers responding to a fire discovered bound slaves in her attic who showed evidence of torture over a long period. The discovery of the seven slaves at the LaLaurie Mansion sent a shock wave of rage through locals who than attacked the mansion by destroying everything in their path. By the time the sheriff showed up it was too late. The damage was done and it is thought that she fled to Paris where she is believed to have died in 1849."_

_"Do they know who started the fire?" Rylee asked as she kept her eyes on her note pad and wrote down the info._

_"The fire was reportedly started by the cook who LaLaurie kept chained to the stove, as a suicide attempt for fear of her punishment, being taken to the upper most room, because she said that anyone who had been taken there never came back."_

The interview with Pamela was very chilling as they learned about the history of the mansion and it's owner Madame LaLaurie. Rylee tried her best to ignore the unsettling feelings she experienced earlier. It was an unwanted nag that wouldn't go away. She stuck close to Aaron and kept her distance from Zak while she took notes. But that didn't stop her from running into him once.

"Sorry." She told him, catching the pad of paper before it could fall to the ground. For once since this morning, she didn't have a bitch tone. When she looked up at him, she smiled sincere. Maybe it was the lack of sleep finally catching up and calming her down. "I think I zoned out for a second."

"Not a problem." Zak returned the smile. "Were you able to get all the notes written down?" He lightly tapped the pad of paper with his finger.

"Yes, I did. I wrote all the locations down where Pamela said she knew of activity that has happened or recorded. Aaron has marked them with an X so we know where to put the camera. All we have now is to wait for Jack to show up for his interview."

"Good. What time is he suppose to be here?"

"I believe I told him 3:00." She looked at her watch, it was quarter to three. "He should be here soon...hopefully."

"You did good with him earlier. Your reassurance may have helped him over come his fears."

His compliment was out of the normal and it took Rylee a minute to process it. This was the first civil conversation the two of them have had in a really long time. It was kinda weird, usually they clashed and argued. But not now.

She felt her cheeks flush, staring down at the floor. It blew her away. "Thanks Zak. I think that's the nicest thing you've said to me in...in forever." She looked up through the strands of hair in front of her eyes. "This is awkward..."

Zak turned to her and chuckled. "Why? Because we're not arguing or trying to kill each other?"

Rylee nodded, pushing her hair out of her eyes and looked up at him. "Exactly. It's kinda nice for a change. I'm getting tired of all the chick fighting we do."

She sucked in a deep breath, cutting him off before he had a chance to say a word. Might as well be now before any more heat comes between them. Now was the time to apologize for bitchy attitude this morning. "And before you say anything I want to say I'm sorry for this morning. I shouldn't have snapped. I just...I haven't been sleeping well the last couple of nights, scary movies tend to give me nightmares."

Zak arched a brow. His thoughts were telling him that she was lying and he didn't understand why. The screams he heard were nothing scary movies could give. "I see..."

She hid the true meaning behind those eyes of hers. Her expression softened, hoping he would buy the bogus story and not question her any longer. For once a civil conversation between them, she hates to see it turn sideways because he pressed her buttons. "Oh yeah, I can't watch those damn teletubbies without dreaming of being chased by them."

This made Zak snort his laugh and Rylee lost it.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, her sides ached to the point that she couldn't breathe. Her cheeks turned beat red. The pad of paper and pen fell to the floor. "You have...no...idea..." She tried her best to say through her laughter. "How...scary...they are..."

His own sides began to ache, clenching his arms around his waist and tried to stop but when she imitated the children's show and he saw just how ridiculous she looked, he couldn't control himself. His laughter erupted only making Rylee laugh harder.

"Oh shit..." She gasped through her fits. "It hurts..." She pressed her back up against the wall and slid down to the floor. She muffled her mouth with her hand and closed her eyes. Bad move on her behalf making herself look like a dork only to make the fits of laughter come harder and stronger. She felt lightheaded and dizzy, panting for fresh air.

"You are something..." He said crouching down to the floor, balancing himself on the tips of his shoes. He wiped the few tears that made their way down his cheeks. As much as he wanted to know what troubled her so much, it was the least thought in his mind. Strangely enough, this split moment between them was refreshing and he enjoyed it.

He blew a heavy breath out as the laughter finally left him and he could control himself. He stared across the hall at Rylee and smiled. "I didn't know the teletubbies could be so frightening."

Rylee took her shirt sleeve and dried her face, opening her eyes. Her chest hurt with each breath she took. She kept her stares to herself, occasionally looking up at the ceiling. For whatever reason that whenever she looked at him, she could feel herself get lost. "You have no idea, Zak." She told him, feeling her eyes pull towards his direction. "They are some creepy mofos."

"Ill keep that in mind next time I see them on TV." He continued to stare at her and she could feel it, he knew she had too. He could see her eyes darting back and forth to him to the ceiling but not lingering long enough for their eyes to connect.

He sighs softly standing up straight. "We should go see if Jack is here." He stepped towards her and held out his hand to her to take.

She hesitated for a moment before she reached out and took his hand and he pulled her to her feet with ease. "Thanks..." She said softly. His touch was warm and gentle, not a death grip that this morning. A wave of chills carried through her body and Rylee tilted her head up just enough to see him through the strands of hair that fell in front of her face. "Thanks for the laugh. I needed that."

Zak nodded and it was his turn to hesitate. He brought his other hand up and brushes away her hair and tucked them behind her ear, his thumb lingered a moment on her cheek. "Anything to do to help..."

"Hey lovebirds, Jack just pulled up." Nick said to them, breaking them out of their moment.


	8. Chapter Seven

_Author's Note: The plot thickens with a little bit of weirdness. I've set it up for another moment for Zak and Rylee for the next chapter because after that, all hell breaks loose and things turn bad. But of course you will have to stick around for that moment next chapter. Also Detective Vance is on a mission lol with a slight more info into Rylee's background._

_Hope you enjoy. And thank you to all who have liked/comment this story. More to come._

**...**

**Chapter Seven**

"This is the place." Jack stated, stopping in front of the closed door. He quickly took his hand out of his suit pocket and pointed before putting his hand back in. The longer he stood there, the memories of his fright was catching up to him. It took him a bit to gather the courage to step inside, waiting out side the front door with Rylee until he could push himself to go through. She was patient as she waited, even offered that it was okay if he couldn't do it.

But Jack wanted too.

His hands were clammy and trembled in his pockets. His heart was racing. The sooner he could show them the faster he could get the hell out and never look back.

Rylee stood next to him. "What happened here?" She asked him quietly, looking over to him. "Tell me what you felt."

Jack nodded. "Like I told you before, I was checking all the locks with the keys, making sure that they were all there. I was standing right where I am now." He began, keeping his eyes forward.

Aaron maneuvered himself around with his camera for a better angle as Nick stood to the side of Zak.

He signs softly. "I went to check the lock and as I grabbed the doorknob, there was this, um...sensation I guess you can say that passed behind me. It was almost like something brushed by. I got the chills, hair standing up, goosebumps and when I turned around to see what it was, there was nothing there. I thought maybe at first I was just tricking myself because this place is huge and it's kinda creepy when you are in here by yourself.

"Than what happened?" She asked. She took control of the interview. It was something she wanted and the guys didn't have a problem.

"At first I didn't think much of it. You know how your mind can play you."

Rylee nodded. "I know all too well, especially when it happens unexpectedly."

Jack finally turned his head and looked at her. His nerves were uneasy but yet he still tried to smile. "Exactly. I was just doing my job. But then, it was like the atmosphere changed around me. I thought I could ignore it. I never believed in ghosts, never really thought there was something hanging around in here, even when others said there was." He turned around and looked at the others and looked at the camera. His face flushed. "I tried to stay in here, finish what I started but the longer I stood here, the more aware I became with what was happening around me. It got harder to focus, the air got heavier. I felt this weight on my chest, making it difficult to catch my breath and that's when I panicked and got the hell out."

His attention went back to the door and stepped forward. He reached for the doorknob but stopped. "I never got the chance to see what was behind this door. This place is grand and quite beautiful...if you can ever get past the part of someone watching you. I don't scare easily but that day it shook me down to the core."

Jack took his place back beside Rylee. She nodded to Aaron and looked over her shoulder to Nick who was holding the other camera and nodded. The interview was over.

"Thank you Jack for coming back out here today for us." She said, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, feeling the slight tremble in him. "We really appreciate it."

"Its not so bad when you're not alone. It's oddly calming in here." Jack stepped back further away from the door until he leaned against the wall. "I give you guys courage for wanting to be in here for a whole night."

"It's our job." Zak finally said. "We look for answers and try to understand why stuff like this happens."

"Well I hope you find what you are looking for. But if you don't need me any longer I would like to leave."

"Of course. Nick will show you out."

"Later guys. And good luck." Jack told them before he followed Nick out.

...

"Are you really going after her?" Detective Kaine asked his partner who was putting a few items from his desk into his bag.

"Yes." Vance told him. Too many failed attempts into contacting Rylee. Too many times he was sick of hearing her voicemail. If he couldn't call her, he was going to see her. Even if it meant he would go across the country to hunt her down. "I need to see her. She needs to know Marcus Black is out on the loose."

"You don't think he would..." Kaine paused for a moment. It was a hard subject for Sam to talk about with his history to the Masters sisters. Kaine knew to dodge around certain topics or never ask questions but with the news of Marcus Black being out, even he was on edge.

Vance stopped and looked at his partner. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "God, I hope not." He replied, his heart sinking in his chest. "Ever since Liv...I hope he's not going after Rylee. That's why I'm going after her..."

Kaine understood with a nod. "Did you want me to come with?"

"No, I got this. Just keep me updated." Vance grabbed the Masters folder off his desk and his jacket. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Hold down the fort while I'm gone."

Kaine smiled, as they did their hand shake. "Keep her safe, dude."

"I plan on it." Vance grabbed his bag and headed out of the precinct. He caught a cab to the airport for the long trip to New Orleans.

...

Once Jack was gone and out of sight, she opened the door. There was nothing special or out of the ordinary about the plain room. It was empty for that matter. It was much smaller than all the others they explored.

"I think we should put an x camera in here." She suggested with a shrug, standing in the middle of the room.

No reply.

She spun around and saw that she was the only one there. "Odd." She swore Zak and Aaron were just behind her but she was alone.

"Aaron? Zak?" She called out taking a few steps towards the door. "Hello? Where the heck did you guys go?"

Nothing.

She shook her head and turned back around to go back to the middle of the room. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the small roll of tape she kept on hand...just in case.

The sound of the tape being ripped from the roll echoed off the walls and sent a chill down her spine. She leaned down and placed the first piece on the floor and than did the same to the second. "I could probably hear myself think in here." She chuckled to herself, making a quick note on her pad of paper of her x. A hot spot she knew. Since there wasn't enough room in the hallway to put the camera, she figured inside would be best.

There was a swoosh of cold air that passed behind Rylee and she quickly turned around and saw nothing. Alarms went off inside her head to high tail it out but she couldn't. It probably was just a draft from having the door open. Yeah that's it.

Liar. She thought to herself as she slowly made her way to the door. The investigating part of her wanted to check it out, explore the unknown cold draft and maybe be onto something that would help them out during their lockdown.

There wasn't a part of herself that didn't want to scream or run. The hairs on her body stood up, goosebumps covered her so. She gulped, leaving the room and made her way down the hall. Her heart began to beat faster. "Hello?" She squeaked, clearing her throat. "Hello? Anybody here?" She questioned going deeper into the mansion. "Was that you that I just felt before." She swallowed hard. "You don't have to be afraid..."

There was no response to her questions, not even a single sound.

"I think I'm going crazy..." She told herself, shaking her head. Lack of sleep was making her delusional, feeling something that wasn't even there. "Lock me up and throw away the key. Scare myself to death..."

Rylee made her way back, walking past the room she came from and from the corner of her eye she caught something moving.

She stopped and backed up, thinking it was one of the guys who decided to finally join her. "I've already marked..." Her words trailed off when she saw that there was no one in the room.

Empty, just the way she left it.

But she thought...no she swears she saw something moving inside. Surely it was true. But how does that explain the emptiness?

No. She didn't see... That's impossible. Ghosts don't just walk around in empty rooms just for the hell of it. They rarely ever make themselves materialize before anyone, so much energy it takes just to speak let alone appear to someone.

She's gone off the rockers. That was the only conclusion she could think of.

She couldn't wrap her head around it and shook her thoughts away. She was definitely going to have to sleep before this lockdown. One thing she didn't need was seeing things to compromise the investigation because her imagination got the best of her.

Rylee turned to head out of the mansion but instead, she runs right smack into Zak.

His grip was like steel as he caught her from falling and steadied her on her feet. "Are you okay, Rylee?" He asked.

She bit down hard on her tongue and she could taste the crimson touch her taste buds. She wanted to scream, having the crap scared out of her. "Geeze, holy shit. I didn't even see you there." She exclaimed, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. "Where the hell did you come from?"

His arms fell to his side and took a step back, "From outside, we've been waiting for you. When you weren't behind Aaron, I came back inside to get you."

She felt the urge to smack him. But she did not. She blew a heavy sigh out. "We really need to stop running into each other." She placed her hand over her chest feeling the vibrations of her heart beat. "Scared the beejeezes out of me."

"Sorry. I called your name but you didn't answer me." He said, watching her. "Didn't you hear me?"

When it was safe to speak and the last tremble left her body, Rylee answered him. She didn't even realize that she had zoned out, trying to figure out what she saw. If she really did see something or if her mind was just simply playing tricks on her. "No, I guess not. I thought I saw something in this room, something moved in there. I was trying to figure out what it could be, that's why I put an x on the floor."

Zak looked at her, cocking a dark brow before he walked to the room. He poked his head inside and looked around. He lowered his guard down just enough to reach inside. Maybe he could pick up what it was she claimed to have seen. But there was nothing radiating around. "If there was something, it's not there now. We'll watch this room tonight during our lockdown, maybe it'll show itself."

He pulled back from the room and walked back to Rylee.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm going crazy. You know, teletubbies could be haunting here." She giggled, she couldn't resist. It helped take the ease off when the more she thought about it, she knew she saw something. What that was, she didn't know.

Zak laughed, shaking his head. "We may have to call in the Ghostbusters for this one if it's them, then. We stand no chance against those teletubbies."

It felt nice for once to be able to joke around with him and not have to worry about tempers flaring. He played along and even made her laugh in the process. She could get use to this.

"So where too now, boss man?" Rylee asked as they made their way outside.

"Aaron and Nick are hungry, thought we could go eat and than head to the market and grab a few things for tonight."

"If it's alright I'd like to pass and go back to the hotel." She said as she dug the keys out of her pocket and locked the door once they were out. "I would like to rest the eyeballs for a bit."

"Okay." Was his answer.

"Hey, there you are." Aaron said, stepping around the van and saw Rylee and smiled widely. "What happened to you?"

"Oh you know, got lost, couldn't find my way out. I told you guys this place was huge. Zak here had to come and rescue me." She told him trying to keep a straight face, not allowing the smile to take form or the laugh that was sitting at the back of her throat.

Aaron looked at her questionably for a moment. Though her expression was straightforward, her eyes told him another story. He laughed. "Liar."

"Am not." She gasped in mock horror. "Its against my religion to say such lies."

He placed his hands on his hips and stared at her long and hard, his smile only getting bigger. "Prove it, missy."

Rylee shook her head violently. "I can't..." She smirked as she glanced over at Zak before she looked at Aaron. "The teletubbies won't let me."


	9. Chapter Eight

_Author's Note: And let the awe moment begin. Lol More to come._

**...**

**Chapter Eight**

"You know Zak, you didn't have to see me to my room." Rylee said as the two of them took the stairs to the second level of the hotel. "I'm a big girl."

"I know..." Zak told her, watching the steps with each one he took. He didn't know why he told Aaron and Nick he would catch up with them later. Maybe it was to pick her brain and find out more about her when he barely knew anything about his new investigator. Sure, she has been with them for the last two years but there was never a talk between them because most of the time they were arguing or fighting. He made her time with them very difficult, mostly and she only retaliated against him because...well he was an ass about her joining them. The less people that joined in their cause of answers for the paranormal, the less people he had to worry about the side effects and the cost of what it does to one's soul. It was never that he didn't like Rylee or the mysteries that surround her, no not at all but it was the line of work and what it does.

He tried as he could to make it hard for her, hoping that his attitude towards her, the fighting and arguing would stray her from wanting to stick with them.

But she was determined.

And Zak knew, Rylee Masters wasn't going to leave. A part of him still hopes she would but yet there was something inside that was happy she was still here.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay about earlier." He said a few moments later, opening the door to the second level. He looked at her as she walked past him, fingers brushing across her hand.

Rylee stopped. She knew he wasn't talking about the incident with the mysterious shadow she saw in that room back at the LaLaurie Mansion. Oh no, he wanted to know about this morning when she snapped at him for sticking his nose in her business.

Yeah, that sure was what he was talking about. She rubbed her fingers across her forehead and sighed frustratingly. Why did he have to bring it up again? They were civil and she was starting to like talking to him and for once she didn't think he was an asshole...

Until now.

"Zak..." Her words failed her as she looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with his. Her eyes pleading him not too question, to stay out of it.

"Rylee, please." He muttered, taking a few steps towards her, his hand reaching out for hers. "You don't have to tell me. I get that whatever hurts, you don't want to talk about it." He moved closer, letting his hands move up her arms.

She watched as he moved closer to her, the touch she could feel through her shirt sleeves. The emotion his voice held as he spoke. The way her heart pounded when he said her name, her stomach fluttered when he was so close to her.

She looked away. "Zak, what do you want from me?" She questioned him, her own emotions were trying to get the best of her. Watering eyes, clammy hands and undeniable chills through her body.

"Just tell me..." He began, placing his finger underneath her chin and turned her head so that he could see her. "I just want to know that you're okay, truly okay."

She avoided his eyes like they were a plague. It wouldn't take much to get sucked in and spill her whole life story before she could stop it. There weren't many she confined in, only her friend Sam who happened to take over the case. No one else. The disastrous ending from her parents and her mother's accusations that it was her fault her sister was dead, Rylee vowed to never tell another soul no matter how bad she wanted too.

"I'm okay Zak." She said a moment later. She pulled the walls around her heart, blocked the needing of telling the truth and made eye contact with his. If he could see her desperation, the lies she's been telling them and her self for so long, she hoped he would move on and forget.

That's all she ever wanted. Forget the night her sister was murdered.

"I really am okay." She sighed softly, tilting her head to the side slightly. "I don't wanna talk about it so please don't ask me again. That's all I can give you."

It was enough for him to take. Her pleads were his warnings and that was all there was to it. And he had to accept it, even when he knew there was something more.

"Alright, that's all I wanted to know." He told her, once again brushing her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I'll take your word on it. I'm sorry if I seemed pushy."

"There's nothing to worry about, Zak. I'm fine." She told him. She stepped back from him, his arms letting her go and started to make her way down the hall towards her room.

'Too close for comfort.' Rylee thought, hearing the rubbing of his pants behind her and she knew Zak was still following her. She wasn't going to question his motives, the last time she did the near break down of her life almost escaped the dark pits. And plus, his room was next to hers, maybe he was going there instead...

But that was not the case and she knew that. Rolling her eyes, Rylee reached into her pocket for the keycard to her room. Her room was located down at the end of the hall, the second door on the right side, she was stuck in the middle with Zak on the left and Aaron on the right. Nicks room was on the opposite side of the hall, across from hers. Lucky him.

Rylee swiped the keycard and opened the door. She walked into the room but stopped as she held the door. She turned to see Zak standing there. She chuckled and shook her head. "Care to come in, maybe check for the boogie man under my bed or the teletubbies hiding out in the closet? Because you know, there's nothing better to do than to walk me to my room...you might as well make sure it's safe."

...

"There are no boogie man or teletubbies hiding out in your room" Zak said after a quick look around. His amusement was held in his eyes as he tried to keep the tough guy exterior going. "Your room is safe."

"Thank you Zak, you are my saviour." She applaud. "Now I can sleep without a care in the world of being attacked by colors of the rainbow."

Rylee made her way over to her bed and flopped down and fell back against the mattress. She kicked off her shoes. "What time are we leaving for our lockdown?" She asked after a moment.

"We'll leave the hotel at 8:30." He said as he looked at her. He caught himself staring at the delicate skin of her stomach where her shirt had risen. He could tell she was lightly tan and smooth, perfect curves. This wasn't the first time he caught himself staring at her. There were a few times, once when they went swimming in the hotels pool. His eyes were glued to her when she came out wearing a blue and black two piece bikini, lucky for him he had his sunglasses on. The other time was just the other day when she came to work wearing a jean skirt and a tank top. Again, he was lucky she did not notice. Who knows what she would have said if she busted him. And they were always arguing with each other. It was suppose to be the last thought on his mind.

He wasn't suppose to see her in another ray of light.

But he did, there just never was a time, a place or a opportunity to tell her.

Until now.

Zak kept it to himself. The tough barriers that stood between them was slowly beginning to move out of the way. He didn't want to risk the shameful response and have her yell at him for trying to put the moves on her.

Rylee moved herself further up on the bed and pulled the blanket over herself. "Will you wake me?" She asked him, with hope. She didn't want to have to call the front desk and ask for another wake up, not when it was still early. They probably would think she was weird or something. But they didn't understand just how very little sleep she got each night.

"Maybe...if it's not too much to ask."

"Of course, I will. I'll come by at 8:00." He told her and turned towards the door. "I'll bust down the door if I have too, to make sure you get up."

She laughed, rolling over onto her side, facing him. Her eyes flickered in the dim light. "Macho."

Zak chuckled and flexed his arms. "Sometimes..." He turned the doorknob and opened the door. "I'll be back later."

"Hey Zak?" Rylee called out, sitting up in bed. "Would you..." She stumbled on her words. She didn't know why she was going to ask him. She knew there was no romantic feelings lingering around, at times he made it perfectly clear he didn't want her around.

But after their conversation back at the mansion, how he made her laugh when he laughed just as much at how ridiculous the teletubbies were brought up or he even went out of his way to walk her to her room even though he had a motive behind it.

For once...It was nice having him around and she wasn't ready to let it slip on by. "Would you stay with me?" She asked him, fiddling with the blanket. "At least until I fall asleep."

Zak stopped and turned to look at her, letting the door close behind him. "Sure." He said as he walked back into her room.

Rylee smiled as she laid back. She felt the slight movement on the bed as he sat down on the edge of it. "You don't have to sit there, you can move up closer. I don't bite."

He didn't want to step on her toes so to speak, taking the comforters of the edge of the bed. He didn't want to assume it was okay. The invitation was welcomed as he moved up closer, resting his back against the headboard, shifting the pillow behind him up more.

"Thanks Zak." She said, rolling onto her other side so that she was facing him. "For not asking why."

"I don't mind." Was all that he said. He reached for the remote and turned the tv on, quickly to turn down the volume so it wouldn't disturb Rylee. Old reruns of I Love Lucy was playing, something he wouldn't mind watching until it was safe to leave the room.

Rylee laid there for what seemed like a lifetime. Her eyes were closed but her mind was going a million miles and it was beginning to frustrate her. How was she going to sleep if she can't stop thinking? She wanted to scream or cry, she wasn't sure what would come first.

She sighed heavily, opening her eyes and looked at Zak. "No funny business..." And scooted closer to him. She rested her head on his stomach, pulled the covers up around her shoulders and tried to sleep that way.

His body tensed and his heart dropped when Rylee moved closer and laid her head on him. It took a minute for him to find his breath and slowly let it out. He waited for the butterflies to pass and the nerve racking feeling to subside before he turned his attention back to the TV. There was no hesitation when he wrapped his arm around her and smiled to himself when she snuggled in closer.

For the first time in four years, Rylee fell asleep without the nightmare that graced her so many nights before.


	10. Chapter Nine

Author's Note: I apologize a head of time if this chapter seems out of place or not sounding right. I guess I did have another awe moment for Zak and Rylee. Lol Hope you like and more to come.

...

Chapter Nine

With Rylee laying on him, it made it hard for Zak to sneak out without disturbing her. He didn't have much of an option but to stay. He didn't mind though, as she slept he watched I Love Lucy.

During commercials, he found himself watching her sleep, so peaceful as she laid there. There was no sudden change or the cries that he heard many nights before. It was a relief. He may have heard them many times, but actually being a witness to the terrifying dreams, he wouldn't know how to react. How would he be able to protect her when he didn't know what they were about?

His fingers gently played with her hair, silky smooth as they fell through his fingers. His other hand caressed the top of her hand that was draped over his stomach. It was a simple notion, not really thinking if he should or shouldn't. If his touches were soothing, if having him there meant no bad dreams, than Zak didn't mind giving up a few sacrifices...like eating when his stomach rumbled or the need to use the bathroom. Or leaving Aaron and Nick out by themselves when he told them he would catch up with them later.

Later turned into two hours and still Zak stayed by her side.

...

Her mind was blank, no cobwebs or lingering demons. No waking up screaming bloody murder or crying for her sister. No haunting images of the attack playing over and over until she broke down. No begging for the nightmares to end or being trapped inside.

There was...nothing.

Nothing but peace.

Rylee stirred in her sleep, the doorway to the living opened and she walked through, slowly opening her eyes. She was expecting Zak to be gone and she would find herself alone on this dreaded, uncomfortable bed.

But the soft touches she knew that did not belong to herself. The movement of her head gently moving with each breath he took, his quiet chuckles as he laughed at what he was watching. Rylee knew she wasn't alone, Zak was still with her.

The room was dimmed with only the brightness of the tv filling the small area around it. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the surrounding darkness, blinking until she could see. She smiled when she saw that he was still watching I Love Lucy.

She didn't want to move or make it known that she was awake. He was comfortable to sleep on, his touches were nice. It has been some time since she let someone even remotely close to her. Too much baggage she carried to allow it.

She felt energized, ready to embrace the night ahead of her. Twelve hours locked inside a mansion, hunting down the paranormal. Bring it on...

But first, she had to get up.

"You're still here." Rylee said, smiling as she began to move. She turned her head to the opposite side and looked at him. "I didn't think you would be..."

"I couldn't really move, I was use as a pillow." He pointed out, grinning. "But I didn't mind."

"Sorry." She frowned, removing her hair from out from her. "I was restless and you looked comfortable..."

Zak chuckled. "Don't be sorry, Rylee. It wasn't a problem. You seemed to be peaceful." He felt his cheeks flush, not many girls ever made him blush. He traced his fingers along the crease of the middle of her back. "I didn't want to disturb you...or leave you alone."

Rylee blushed, feeling the heat upon her cheeks. "Maybe I should have you sleep with me more often. I haven't slept that well in...in what seems like forever." She teased pulling herself up into a sitting position. She took her fingers through her hair before pulling it back into a ponytail and than rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

The muscles in his lower back were stiff and ached when he finally moved. He twisted and turned until they popped and the pain was relieved. He didn't realize it, staying in one position would be hurtful, even his reasons would come with consequences. "Anytime you need a pillow, you know where to find me."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time. You never know when I could use a squishy body part to sleep on." She raised her arms above her head and stretched until every muscle she could get was singing with delight. It was pleasant and heavenly, relieved from the stress and tension she lived with for almost five years. She moaned contently, a smile gracing her lips...if only it could be like this every day.

Rylee got off the bed, standing to her feet and did one last stretch for her legs, making her toes curl.

Zak watched her and laughed. "Feel better?"

She nodded. "You have no idea. I haven't felt this great in a long time. I could run a marathon if I wanted too."

"I'm glad to have helped." He stood to his feet and walked around the bed. He fought the impulse to go to her, one small step at a time. They were on the right track to being friends, without all the fighting and arguing. Even though most of the time it was because of him, this new feeling he was experiencing he didn't want to ruin it.

"I can't thank you enough. If I could tell you my gratitude I would."

"You don't need too..."

"I know I don't, but I feel the need too...like it's a must. I haven't slept well in years Zak, haunted by my own personal demons and it amazes me that you kept them away for a few hours." The wall that kept her from telling a soul about what happened was slowly beginning to crumble and she almost let it happen.

Would it be so wrong to trust at least one person with her secret? The one person she couldn't stand at first, the one that even against her will put butterflies in her stomach and occasionally give her thoughts that were not appropriate. Finding herself attracted to him when they fought. She never told anyone, not even Aaron that she secretly crushed on her enemy.

Rylee took a step towards him. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Why are you being so nice to me, Zak?" She asked him, the thought has crossed her mind. Two years working with him and there was never a day that didn't go by that they weren't arguing, two different personnel clashing against each other. And most times, it was catastrophic.

Zak sighed softly and took his own step towards her. "To be honest..." He began, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, chills running down his spine. He never struggled so hard in his life talking to a girl before. When he liked them, he'd tell them, expressed his feelings for them. He was never shy...

Until now.

"I'm not always a complete ass, Rylee."

Rylee snickered under her breath and looked at him. "You could have fooled me."

"Yes, I know I've made your job unpleasant at times. But like you said, you get tired of all the fighting. It was nice for once to be able to talk without jumping down each other's throats for whatever reason."

Zak took another step towards her. "I do care, Rylee. I just have a hard time showing it...sometimes."

She watched him carefully as he stepped closer to her. She wanted to back up but she couldn't. His words were swirling around inside her head. "I've only wanted to be accepted by you, Zak. I know me being put on your team was rough, I saw it and felt it. But I'm not a bad person, I do take my job seriously."

"I know you do. And it's one of many reasons why you are still with us."

"Let's not fight anymore. It's exhausting." She stated. "If there's a problem than we be civil and talk about it, not scream until we're blue in the face."

Zak stopped in front of her and held his hand out to her to take. "Deal. No more fighting."

Rylee placed her hand in his, feeling the warmth of his fingers wrapping around her hand, sending her heart into flutters. She couldn't look at him now, the temptations were becoming stronger with each second that pass. "Good." She muttered.

...

Rylee held the door open, letting it rest against her hip as Zak walked out into the hallway.

"I'll meet you down in the lobby." He said, turning to look at her.

"Okay."

There was a moment of silence between them as they stood there and looked at each other. Neither one wanting to move but they had too. It was almost eight and still had to find Nick and Aaron before heading out to the LaLaurie Mansion.

"Well, I'm..." Zak was the first to break the silence, thumb pointing to his room, digging his own card key out of his pocket.

Rylee nodded. "Okay." The only word she was able to find. What Zak didn't know was what was swirling around inside her head was gaining the courage to move from her spot. She wanted to thank him for staying with her when she asked him. Words could not express the act of kindness he gave her. Because of him, this was the first time ever since the incident that she wasn't haunted by brutality and it felt to her that her words of thanks just wasn't good enough.

But, if only she was able to move her feet that were concrete to the floor. 'Move it, just do it...' She mentally screamed at herself. How could it be so hard, it's not like she never done it before.

This wouldn't be the first time she has used her lips. But it sure did feel like it.

Before she could kick herself for not doing it or make a fool just by standing in her doorway with a dumbfounded look on her face, Rylee pulled the door bolt out to stop the door from closing, nerves rattling as she stepped out into the hallway. "Zak, wait..."

Zak was paused in front of his door and froze in mid swipe of his key card. The lock on his door buzzed at him for not completing the swipe. He took a step back and looked at her. "What is it, Rylee?"

"I know I told you before and I'll probably keep telling you..." She made her way towards him, her fingers fiddling with the ends of her shirt. "But, thank you."

She stopped just inches from him. "I know you didn't have too but it means a lot that you..." She sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Their eyes made contact and she smiled. "stayed with me..."

Zak took a step and stopped. "You're welcome. I'd do it again if you asked..."

"Maybe..." Her words failed her. She sighed heavily, this was not going well.

She shook her head. "Maybe...after the lockdown..." Her eyes and face expression held hope he would. "You could...you seem to keep the monsters away."

"Sure, of course I will." He didn't have to think about it, there was no decision making when his words were the truth. He meant what he said.

This made her smile more. "That's great. Thank you." Rylee leaned up onto her tippy toes and kissed him lightly on his cheek.

She quickly turned away and walked back to her room before he had the chance to stop her, question her or even try something himself. It was just a tiny kiss, a simple kiss to his cheek, nothing more...

So why did it give her butterflies? Why was her heart pounding so hard inside her chest? Why was she blushing as red as strawberries on a summer's day? She was smiling like a baphoon.

Rylee leaned against her door, hearing the click as it closed shut.


	11. Chapter Ten

_Author's Note: I apologize for the late update and the lack of updates. And I also decided to move along the major plot twist up sooner than originally planned. I have another plot twist to add in. So brace yourself for some doozy updates to come. It's all coming down. Enjoy the update._

**...**

**Chapter Ten**

She was dressed and ready to go and made her way down to the lobby. No matter how much makeup she put on it wouldn't hide the flush in her cheeks, it couldn't disguise the look in her eyes. By herself it left her with wandering thoughts. All the coulda, woulda, shoulda came crashing into her. She couldn't escape them. She wanted more...

She couldn't remember the last time she wanted something so bad. Years of dormant feelings and desires locked away starting to make its way to the surface...all because of a simple kiss to his cheek. Her heart throbbed for the unknown and her sudden wants for this man.

Rylee grumbled, cursing herself for even thinking such things. It's not like he would return the feelings, sure Zak and her were on better terms than before but that was all it was.

Nothing more.

So why now, why couldn't she get him out of her thoughts? Why was she tempting fate by inappropriate thoughts with her boss? The last thing she wanted was awkward conversations, blushing and giggling like a school girl all because she was crushing on the one person that drives her completely insane.

This was going to be harder to ignore...

...

There weren't many people in the lobby by the time she got off the elevator and made her way through where she was suppose to meet up with the guys. She spotted Nick and Aaron but no sign of Zak. He was always the last one to arrive; perfecting his hair as always.

She rolled her eyes. "Hey butter cups, did you miss me?"

"Hey Rylee." Nick greeted. "How was your nap?"

Rylee grinned. "Slept like a baby. I had a nice, squishy body to sleep on."

Aaron stood there with a goofy grin on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it when she glared at him to keep his mouth shut. Both Nick and him knew Zak had stayed behind, they only waited a few minutes before they ventured out to find a store.

"I wasn't going to say anything." He told her, holding both hands up in protest.

Rylee didn't believe that for one bit. His face expression said enough: he wanted to know what happened.

But Aaron didn't press it. He would save him being nosey for later.

"I got you something." Aaron smiled proudly, holding out a plastic bag for her. "I didn't forget about you."

Rylee took the bag from his hand and opened it. She looked inside, her eyes got big and she gasped loudly, reaching in and pulled out the first candy bag. "Gummie Bears! I love gummie bears." She felt like a child at Christmas time. She looked inside once more and pulled out the green colored bag. Warheads name displayed across the top.

She squealed. "Warheads! I love warheads." She looked at Aaron, a smile as big as she could possibly get it. "How did you know?"

Aaron felt proud with her reactions. "I remember you once told us you loved them, so I got you some."

"Thank you." She said, clenching the bags of candy to her chest. "You know what this means, later tonight during our down time, it's the warheads challenge."

Aaron laughed. "It's on."

Rylee turned to Nick and wiggled her brows. "What do you say, Nick, would you take the warheads challenge with us?"

Nick contemplated. He was never a big fan of sour candy. "I don't know..."

"Oh come on, Nicky...pppllleeeaaassseee..." She pouted, puffing out her lower lip giving it a slight tremble. She batted her eyelashes and added the puppy dog eyes to go with. "It will be fun."

Nick rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Fine, I'll do it but on one condition."

"What's that?" Rylee grinned.

"Just don't call me Nicky."

Rylee and Aaron laughed.

"Scouts honor." She held up her hand. "No more...Nicky..."

"I have one more thing for you." Aaron said reaching into his back pocket and pulled out the device and handed it to her. "You forgot your phone in the van."

Rylee took her phone. She didn't even realize she was missing it, let alone grabbing it this morning. "Thanks. I completely forgot about it." She stated, pressing the button on the side to light up her screen. A whole day without her phone, maybe she got lucky and someone had called or text.

The missed calls and voicemail icons were displayed at the top of the screen. She swiped her finger down the screen; ten missed calls and eight voicemail messages all from one single person.

Rylee nearly dropped her phone, unbelievable that she had that many calls. Why would someone call that many times? She recognized the number, his name scrolled across the screen; Sam Vance.

...

LaLaurie Mansion Nerve Center

"Rylee..." Her voice was clear as day, captured on the voice recorder. Billy did a live session only moments ago. One of the cameras was having malfunctioning problems. There was a chill hanging around in the room that Jack had his experience and he reacted asking if he was alone. It was only a few seconds Billy stayed in the room before going back to nerve center to check his recorder.

His eyes grew with shock. "What the..." He muttered, taking the cursor on his computer and played it back again. Maybe he didn't here it right, maybe the woman's voice didn't say what he thought it did. Maybe...just maybe his ears were playing tricks on him and the voice didn't call out to Rylee.

"Rylee..." Again, clear as day, the spirits voice said the investigators name.

Billy removed his headphones and tapped Jay on the shoulder. "I think you need to hear this." He said, setting it up again for a second opinion. He handed Jay the headphones. "Tell me what you hear."

Jay put the headphones on and gave a wave of his hand for Billy to play back the recording.

His reaction was the same, wide eyed and mouth dropped open. "Where was this recorded?" He asked, motioning for another playback.

"The room where camera three is, the one that was malfunctioning." He told him, clicking on play again. He waited for a minute before he told Jay what he felt inside. "I felt a cold spot by the camera so I pulled out my recorder."

"We should call Zak."

...

Zak closed the door behind him as he left his room and started to make his way down to the lobby when his phone went off. He took the phone out of his pocket, Billy's name was displayed on the screen.

He was quick to answer. "Hey Billy, we're on our way to the mansion. What's up?" He casually asked, pushing the down button on the elevator.

"Zak, we have a situation here."

He paused for a moment. "What is it?"

"We caught something on a recorder." Billy began, swallowing the lump in his throat. "You need to listen to it."

Zak didn't wait around for the elevator door to open, he turned and headed for the stairs. "Alright, hang tight. We'll be there as soon as we can." He pushed the stairway door open and headed down them.

The call ended.

Zak made his way out the stairway door and headed towards the others. "Billy just called, he has something for us to listen too." He told them, relaying the message he got only moments before. "He didn't say what but it sounds significant to the location."

"Ooh, our first ghostly encounter." Rylee muttered, her eyes still glued to her phone, staring at the name. She half paid attention to Zaks voice while the bigger part of her wondered off. The longer she stared at her phone, the more engrossed she became, tuning out the voices around her.

"I'll meet you guys out there in a minute. I have a phone call to make." Rylee told them, adjusting her back pack. "A blast from the past..."

Zak looked at her with a questionable look on his face. A quick moment where his heart sank but he brushed it off. "Everything alright?"

Rylee smiled slightly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not sure. A friend was persistent with his calls. That's never a good sign with him."

She didn't wait for anymore responses, dodging around questions she could see he wanted to ask and stepped away, her phone clenching in her hand.

Her own questions were swirling around inside her head: what could be so damn important that he blew up her phone with calls?

One by one, Rylee went through the messages.

'It's Sam again. Please, you have to call me back when you get this message. It's very important that I speak with you.'

The urgency in his voice sent a shock wave through her body. The voicemails became more desperate than the last, his frustration was heard with each one. Something troubled him.

She swiped her finger across the screen and tapped the call back symbol. The phone rang once and his voice came through next.

"It's about time." Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Hello to you too, Sam." The attitude in his voice struck a chord with her. "

"Don't get sassy with me, Rylee. I've been trying to call you all day, we wouldn't be having this conversation six hours later if you knew to answer your phone the first time I called."

She rolled her eyes and sighed softly. "Some of us do work around here. I'm doing my job. And plus I left my phone behind. I just now got it back."

"What's so important that you blew up my phone?" She asked, getting straight to the point. She only had seconds before Zak came for her head because she was taking up too much time when they should be on their way to their location.

It was his turn to sigh. "I can't talk now..."

"What? Why not? You needed so desperately for me to call, well here I am. You have my full attention."

"I can't, you're gonna have to wait until I get there. I'm boarding my plane now. I'll tell you everything when I see you. I have to go now, Rylee."

"Oh don't you dare hang up on me, Sam. Why are you coming here? How did you know where to find me?"

"I'm a detective, it's what I do...find people. I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he hung up on her.

"Sam? Hello?"

Nothing but the dial tone.

"Dammit."

"Who's Sam?"

Rylee spun around on her heels, her skin crawling with chills and her heart stopped. She watched as the color began to drain from his face, his eyes were softened and she could see the hurt that he was trying so hard not to show. "Were you spying on my conversation, Zak?" There was no hint of anger in her words, she knew he only caught the end of her call: after all she did say his name.

"Of course not, why would I?" He told her truthfully. "I just came to see if you were done. We really should head out."

"Sorry, the call I thought was important, but according to him it can wait." She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it was a waste of time."

She pushed aside the urgency of voicemails and his cryptic message; there wouldn't be time to dwell on what Mr. Prissy Pants wanted. "And to answer your curiosity, Sam is just a friend."

Zak didn't know why he answered her with these words. He was sparked with a hint of jealousy the moment the word he came out of her mouth. "Just a friend?"

Now he regretted saying those words.

Rylee took a step back and looked at him. She tilted her head to the side slightly. "Do I sense a little jealousy?" Her lips began to spread into a smile as he fumbled on his words.

"Me? I...uh...no way." Zak was quick to answer. But his heart told him other wise.

She chuckled. She was amused by his sudden reaction. He never seemed the jealous type, being around him the last two years and the few girls she saw him with; never was he jealous. Zak Bagans doesn't get jealous...

Until now...

"Don't worry, Zak." She began, stopping herself from the need to tease him. It was tempting.

She took one step closer, their eyes meeting. "Sam isn't my type. I prefer guys who are tall, dark hair with blue eyes

Before her actions got her into trouble, she has already said too much. She crossed the boundaries she swore she never would, Rylee turned and walked away, heading outside and got in the van.


	12. Chapter Eleven

I apologize for the wait, that writing rut is evil. I hope you like and more to come.

...

**Chapter Eleven**

The mansion looked even creepier at night, very little light shined down upon the massive three story building. All the windows were covered and concealed. No cars or people around to interrupt their investigation; security officers had the streets blocked off. An extra measure of precaution to keep curious fans from wandering in.

Rylee swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared out the window. There was something eerie about the place in complete darkness. It was almost nerve racking and kind of unsettling. She hadn't felt this uncomfortable about a location in a really long time. Most locations she was able to push those kinds of feelings away and be able to do her job...but there was something about this building that scared her and she didn't know why.

She sighed softly, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. She wiped her palms on her pants, back and forth creating a friction sound. She was tempted to speak up and tell them she just couldn't do it. Something was in there.

She couldn't explain it.

Zak placed his hand over hers, stopping her hand movements. His touch was gentle, intertwining his fingers with hers. He didn't say a word only smiled when she turned and looked at him.

"Thanks." She whispered to him, her nerves easing to a stand still.

Nick pulled the van around to the back and parked next to the car. Pamela waited for their arrival, ready to lock them inside for the night; a thick chain and lock for the gate. They would only have access to the outside through the back door. It was a request by Zak, everything was shut down for their investigation leaving nothing to contaminate: the central air was turned off. It was going to get stuffy inside. This way they could go out back if needed.

Zak was the first one out of the van with Aaron close by with his camera ready to start filming. With each lockdown, they recorded being bolted in for the night showing that they couldn't leave or anyone getting in without the master key.

With a deep sigh Rylee was the last one to leave the van. 'Put your game face on.' She told herself as she stepped out of the van and was greeted by Aaron's camera in her face.

"Say hello to our viewers, Rylee." He said, zooming in on her face.

"Hello viewers. Welcome to the dark side." She plastered a smile on her face as she pointed to the mansion.

Aaron followed her arm down to where she was pointing, closing in onto the dark windows: not a movement in sight. He did a quick scan of the backyard before turning the camera onto Zak and Pamela.

"Are you ready to lock us in?" Zak asked her.

Pamela grinned. "You bet." She held up the chain and lock for Aaron to zoom in on it.

They made their way towards the tall wooden fence.

"We have a camera set up just on the other side of the fence that Nick just put up. This way, you all can see when we get locked in, we're stuck here until morning." Zak told the camera.

"So Pamela, if you would be so kind to lock us in." He held opened the gate.

"Good luck tonight and I'll be back in the morning to let you guys out." She stepped through and closed the gate behind her. She placed the chain through the two door handles a few times and latched the paddle lock on.

Once the sound of the car was gone, Zak turned to his crew. "Lets get started."

They made their way into the mansion, again Rylee was the last one to enter, closing the door behind her and locked it.

"Aaron, I want you and Rylee to do a walk through and make sure no one snuck in before we go dark. Just because we have cameras rolling doesn't mean people can't be sneaky." Zak began. "Nick and I will go to Nerve Center and see what Billy and Jay captured. We'll fill you in when you're done."

Aaron handed his camera over to Nick. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his flashlight and turned it on. "You got it. One quick sweep coming up."

Rylee didn't like leaving the comforts of the group, something told her, her uneasy feelings were going to get worse. It sounded silly inside her head but being separated from Zak knowingly what he does for her was going to cause a problem.

But she kept it to her self.

She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She followed close behind Aaron and reached for her flashlight and smiled when the blinding light clicked on. There has been a few times it went wonky on her at previous locations in the past, leaving her completely in the dark. Not something she wanted to happen now. Now she carries extra batteries to avoid the problem. Walking into walls as she felt her way back to nerve center left her with bruises and a headache.

...

They made their way up the first flight of stairs to the second level once clearing the first floor of no spies lurking. Aaron turned his flashlight and shined the light into Rylee's face.

"Hey, watch it." Rylee shielded her eyes with her hand to block the light from leaving white blotches in her vision.

Aaron chuckled, keeping the light on her. "Alright, spill the beans."

She shifted a brow in his direction. "Spill the beans, what are we ten?" She paused and shook her head. "Don't answer that."

He laughed.

Rylee turned from his light, shining her own into the first room they came too. "There's no beans to spill." She told him plainly with a shrug of her shoulders. She knew what he was asking: why all of a sudden is Zak and her civil?

Aaron didn't believe her. He observed, noticed a change and saw things. Something happened that changed their relationship from catastrophic to normal civilized people who don't want to kill each other when they are in the same room together. He saw the way that they looked at each other: smiles that reached their eyes. He may have even seen Rylee blush and that never happens. "Awe, come on Ry, you can tell me. Something happened didn't it?" His face was horrid as the thought crossed his mind.

Now it was Rylee's turn to shine her light into his eyes. "Don't even think it, Aaron. It's not like that. Zak and I did not so you can get that thought out of your head right now."

Aaron laughed again. "Than what happened? You guys are acting differently. You can tell me."

Rylee sighed softly. Aaron wasn't going to give up until she told him. Not that it would be a bad idea to have someone to talk too and she knew that she could with Aaron. "Fine."

"Zak and I have an understanding." She began as they made their way to the third level of the mansion. She glanced over in his direction, the light from the flashlight showed his peaked interest. She rolled her eyes with a smirk on her lips.

"And what's that?"

"We understand that the teletubbies are evil and creepy."

...

While Aaron and Rylee headed off through the mansion, Zak and Nick went to Nerve Center. The room was located just off the kitchen, all their equipment was set up. Jay and Billy had their backs to them as they kept their eyes on the monitors in front of them.

"Billy. Jay." Zak greeted, making his way towards them. "What'cha got?"

Billy removed his headphones and turned in his seat and looked at Zak. He had listened to the recording a few more times. Maybe there was a mind trick to it and Jay and him didn't hear it. But each time he did, he knew he had captured something significant.

It still sent chills down his spine.

"I don't know how to explain it..." Billy told him. "I've tried everything to analyze the voice Jay and I heard."

"This is a Class A EVP. This is something unlike anything we've ever caught before." Jay said.

"Lets have a listen." Nick said, just as anxious to hear the recording.

"Alright." Billy muttered. He turned back to the computer in front of him and with a click of the mouse he pressed play and turned the volume up for them to hear. "You'll hear me ask if there was someone in the room with me."

Zak and Nick leaned forward slightly in their stance. Static filled the air around them. And Billy pointed to the recording with his finger.

"Is there anyone in here with me?" Billy's voice came through the speakers. "Hello? Am I alone in here?"

A moment of silence followed.

"Rylee..." Her voice was clear, slicing through the static. "Please...help...her..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't remember that last part." Billy shook with unsettling nerves.

"Play it again." Zak wanted to hear it. His heart fell to the pit of his stomach. It was exciting when EVPs are clear like this one, he would be jumping with excitement and over reacting like most times he does when spirits speak so clearly and the recorder captures it. But there was something really different about this one. It was unnerving to hear his fellow investigators name being called out.

He heard it for the second time and a third. He tried to deceiver the recording, what it meant and who it could be. Maybe the dark spirit of Madame LaLaurie was making herself known. It wouldn't be the first time spirits manipulated and called out their names. Maybe one of the slaves was seeking his investigators help: to be free of their torment.

No. That's not what his gut is telling him. Why would Rylee need help? There was no attachment he was aware of. No evil haunting his youngest member.

"Zak, maybe we should..." Nick swallowed, feeling just as eerie as the others. He turned to look at his friend, "Maybe Rylee will know who..."

But before Zak had the chance to disagree with wanting to tell Rylee her name was captured. He needed a little bit more time to figure it out. He would ask the spirits himself and if it was nothing to worry about he would gladly share this class A EVP with her.

Camera three went dark.


End file.
